Fate
by Butterfly Betty
Summary: My one-shot for Fandom Fights the Floods. An unexpected detour changed everything for Edward.


"We are going to have to get off the road," muttered Emmett, flicking on his blinker as he switched lanes. "This rain is getting heavier."

"Where are we?" I asked, from my position in the backseat. In fact, I was laying across the back seat.

"Somewhere in Texas," replied Rose. "Ok, pull off the highway and we'll see if we can find a hotel or someplace."

Emmett grunted out an okay as he followed her orders and pulled off the highway. I sat up and ran my hands through my hair, trying to wake up. We'd been in the car for the last twenty hours, driving from LA toward the east coast for a family reunion. Normally, we would fly but my new sister-in-law, Rose, thought it would be fun for us to drive. My idea of fun was not to spend twenty plus hours in a car with my brother and his new wife. They were so gross together; always gushing about how much they loved each other, how beautiful the other was. Nothing quite like feeling of being the odd man out. I should be used to it, seeing as they've been together for nearly five years.

Emmett, a big guy with curly brown hair and bright blue eyes, was two years older than I was. He and I had always been pretty close, though. When we were little, our parents had been killed in a car accident and we were sent to live with our aunt and uncle, Esme and Carlisle. Neither of us knew them very well but seeing as we didn't have any place else to go, we went. Emmett promised me that he would take care of me and he did. It turned out that Carlisle and Esme were awesome and we quickly realized that we were going to be ok, but Emmett and I were still close. More like friends than brothers.

Rose, a leggy blond with a body to kill for, came into the picture when I was sixteen and Emmett, eighteen. He was a senior and the star player on our high school football team. Rose was new and had made it very clear that she was anti-football. Emmett fell for her hard, even though Rose refused to go out with him. After trying for several weeks, Emmett nearly gave up. Instead, he quit football the week of our biggest game. Everyone called him an idiot but he told me that he was in love with Rose, and couldn't let her go. He was willing to give up everything for her. I thought he was an idiot, too, but I admired his bravery. Emmett turned up at Rose's house and begged her to give him a chance. She reluctantly agreed and something changed on their first date. From that moment on, they were together. I envied the way they loved each other.

"Fuck, look at how small this town is," muttered Emmett, driving at an agonizingly slow pace through the streets. "Looks like they don't have a hotel or anything."

"Well, we can't keep driving," sighed Rose. "Pull over at that diner. We'll have to ride out the storm there."

"Yay us," I grumbled, under my breath.

Whether Emmett or Rose heard me, I couldn't be sure because neither of them said anything. Emmett pulled the car up in front and the three of us climbed out, running inside the small diner. There was a tall, lanky man sitting at the counter, white wife beater and a dirty pair of blue jeans. He looked back at us, letting his dirty blond hair flop in his face, and started laughing, like he had never seen people running through the rain before.

"Can I help ya?" he asked, southern accent thick as he turned on his red, vinyl stool and gave us all the once over.

"Can you tell us if there are any hotels around here?" asked Rose, running her hands through her long blond hair, letting droplets of water fall to the floor.

"Nope," he smiled. "Closest one is about thirty miles up the road but with the rain pouring down like it is, you ain't gonna make it."

"Great," I muttered, flopping down on one of the booths.

"Better you're stuck here than out on the road," said the guy, standing up. "Let me get you folks some coffee."

Rose and Emmett thanked him but I said nothing. The guy moved around to the other side of the counter and quickly poured us each a cup of coffee. "Well, it may not be the best but at least it's hot," he chuckled, bringing them over to where we were sitting.

The door to the diner opened and we all looked over. Coming into the diner was a small girl, with long black hair that had been pulled back into a ponytail. She wasn't very tall, maybe five foot two but she carried herself as being much bigger. She had pale ivory skin, and dark eyes, almost pitch black. As she looked up at us, the man giving us coffee visibly tensed.

"Did you find her?" he asked.

"No," sighed the girl. "I looked everywhere. The school, the park, the lake. She wasn't anywhere. None of her so-called friends had seen her, either."

"Damn it," muttered the man, running his hand through his hair. "Where the fuck is she?"

"She'll be fine," insisted the girl. "It's not her time yet, Jasper."

"So you say," grumbled Jasper, turning and walking into the kitchen of the diner.

The woman closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and composing herself. She opened her eyes and looked over at me, Emmett, and Rose, who were all staring wide-eyed at her and Jasper. What the hell had we stumbled upon?

"You folks passing through?" asked the girl, planting a smile on her face.

"Um, yeah, but we had to stop because of the rain," explained Rose, shifting uncomfortable.

The girl nodded her head and looked toward the kitchen. Jasper was in there, banging pots and pans around. She sighed and looked back over at us. "Well, it's not supposed to stop for awhile," she murmured. "I'm Alice."

"I'm Emmett," said my brother, nodding his head at her. "This is my wife, Rose, and my brother, Edward."

"It's nice to meet you," smiled Alice. "Can I get you something to eat? We have a killer burger. Or maybe you're in the mood for some pancakes. Jasper's pancakes are the best in the state."

"No, thank you, we're fine," said Rose.

"Yeah, where's your restrooms?" I asked, standing up.

"Over there," she said, gesturing to the other side of the diner.

I shuffled over, ignoring the banging still coming from the kitchen, and headed into the men's room. After spending the last several hours in the car, I needed to piss like a fucking horse. I quickly relieved myself, sighing as my bladder emptied and the dull ache in my abdomen when away. After I washed my hands, I headed back out into the diner.

Just as I stepped out of the restroom, the front door to the diner opened again. This time, the most incredibly beautiful girl, no woman, came stumbling in. She had long, dark brown hair that hung loosing around her face, dripping from the pouring rain outside. She was wearing a floral skirt that fell to her knees; bright yellow, greens, and oranges standing out. She had on an orange tank top that was clinging to her chest like it was a second skin, doing nothing to hide the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra. Her long legs were bare and she didn't have any shoes on.

None of this compared to what I saw when she looked up at me, however. The girl at the door had the most intense, soulful, dark brown eyes that peered into me. My breath caught in my throat as we stared at each other. Her cheeks blazed pink and she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. My cock hardened and I had to stop myself from adjusting myself.

I'm not sure how long the girl and I stood there, staring at each other, when the door to the kitchen was thrown open. We both snapped our eyes over and found Jasper standing there, glaring at her. Turning my eyes back over to the girl, I noticed that she didn't look concerned about the fact that Jasper was glaring the ever loving fuck out of her. Instead, she seemed quite amused by the while situation.

Alice moved over and placed her hand on the girl's shoulder, before turning and looking at Jasper. "Honey-"

"Where the fuck have you been, Bella?" asked Jasper, slamming his fist down on the counter in front of him. Emmett and Rose's eyes were as wide as they could be as we stood there and watched the showdown. Bella smiled and looked over at me.

"Out," she said, simply. Her voice rushed through me, causing me to shiver in anticipation. "Who are you?"

"Edward," I said, dumbly. "Edward Cullen."

"I'm Isabella Swan but everyone calls me Bella, unless they want me to beat their asses," she said, smiling.

"Bella, where exactly were you?" asked Jasper, drawing her attention back to him.

"Just…out," she sang, moving over and climbing on top of the counter. She tucking her feet under her as she looked back over at me. "Where are you from, Edward Cullen?"

Vaguely aware of everyone watching me, I moved over and sat down on one of the stools in front of her. Even though Bella was soaking wet from the musky rain, she smelled incredible. Like Honeysuckles and summertime. I inhaled deeply, committing as much of it as I could to memory. This was one scent that I never wanted to forget.

"Um, LA," I said, clearing my throat. "Heading to Atlanta for a family thing."

"Oh." Bella was still smiling as she moved her feet and placed them on the stool next to me. I wanted to wrap my arms around her legs, pulling her so that she was in front of me. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"

"What?" I asked. She laughed, throwing her head back. Jasper rolled his eyes but smiled, clearly enjoying the sound of her laughter.

"Your friends," said Bella again, gesturing to my brother and Rose. "It would be nice to know their names, too, Edward. That way they don't think I am crazy."

"Oh," I muttered, blushing at my own stupidity. "That's my brother Emmett, and his wife, Rose."

Bella smiled as she looked over at them, laughing hysterically. "I bet they fuck like bunnies, don't they?"

"Bella," hissed Jasper. She turned and looked back at him.

"What?" she asked, innocently.

"That was rude," muttered Jasper.

"They do," I said, quietly. Bella smiled as she looked down at me. "Like all the time. They're newlyweds."

"We're not that bad," grumbled Emmett. I looked over at him, finding him standing with his arm around Rose, who was clearly embarrassed.

"Yeah, okay," I snorted, turning back to Bella. "They're really bad, like moans and four letter words being thrown around all the time."

"Jasper and Alice are the worst," she smirked. "Every time I come home, I have to prepare myself for the fact that I may walk in and find my brother balls deep in her."

"ISABELLA!" roared Jasper, clearly flustered. Bella, however, threw her head back and started laughing hysterically.

She hopped off the counter and grabbed my hands. "Come on," she urged. "I'm starving."

"Me too," I smiled.

Bella pulled me into the kitchen, ignoring the looks from everyone else. Once we were inside the industrial kitchen, she dropped my hands and turned toward the large, stainless steel fridge. I missed the contact immediately. Bella started pulling out eggs, onions, peppers, cheese, and ham. She set everything on the counter and looked up at me, drawing me to her once again. What was it about this girl that turned me into such a sap?

"Do you like onions?" she asked.

"What?" I asked, once again feeling like an idiot.

"Do you like onions?" she asked, slowly. "In your omelet. You do like omelets, don't you?"

"Yes," I murmured.

"Yes, you do like onions or yes, you do like omelets?" she asked, giggling.

"Both," I muttered, feeling my ears turn red.

"You're cute," she smiled. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No," I said, shuffling from one foot to the other. "Do you?"

"No, I'm not a lesbian," she laughed. "Not that there is anything wrong with that and there was this one time in college with my roommate."

"What time?" I asked, quickly. Bella laughed again, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth. I couldn't believe I just asked that. "Sorry."

"Don't be," she smiled. "You're a man and men have a hang up about girls fucking each other. I was lying anyway, there was nothing between me and my college roommate."

"Oh," I muttered. "I meant, do you have a boyfriend?"

"No," she said, quietly. "Mushrooms?"

"Please," I smiled, feeling oddly relieved that she was single. As Bella started scrambling the eggs for our omelets, I moved over so that I was standing next to her. "So are you still in school?"

Bella stopped scrambling the eggs and looked up at me, sadness filling her eyes. It was only there for a moment before she returned to the eggs, forcing herself to smile. "No," she said, quietly. "Are you?" she asked, looking up at me.

Even though she was smiling, there was still a look of regret in her eyes. "One more year left," I murmured. She nodded her head and turned back to the griddle.

"I'm really hungry," she whispered.

Bella made us each an omelet with onions, mushrooms, ham, and cheese. They smelled delicious and I didn't realize I was as hungry as I was until the smell hit my nose. I grabbed both of our plates, ignoring the scowl on her face, and followed her out into the front part of the diner. Jasper and Alice were sitting on the other side of the counter. Alice had her arm around Jasper's waist, trying to calm him down. Emmett and Rose were a few seats down from them, sipping on their coffee and talking about how much time we were losing on our trip. As I followed Bella over to a booth on the far end of the diner, I found that I didn't care too much about how much time we were losing.

"Thanks for making us something to eat," said Jasper, standing up.

"You're welcome," smirked Bella, stuffing a mouthful of eggs into her mouth. "It's so good."

Jasper headed into the kitchen to make him, Alice, Rose, and Emmett some food. While Bella and I sat in our booth in the back, Alice started talking to Rose and Emmett, digging into the intimate details of their lives. I wasn't paying much attention to them, seeing as I was sitting across from the most amazing girl I had ever met.

"Tell me something that nobody else knows about you," said Bella, laying her fork down.

"I hate peas," I chuckled. Bella rolled her eyes.

"Seriously," she said. "Something that nobody else knows."

I looked over my shoulder at my brother and Rose, making sure that they were busy talking with Alice. "I, um," I started, turning back to Bella. "I don't want to be done with school."

"Why not?" she asked, leaning up and propping her chin on the palm of her hand. Bella's dark hair fell forward, framing her face.

"Um," I murmured, clearing my throat. "I'm an accounting major and I don't really like it."

"So change," she smiled. "What do you like?"

"I don't really know," I said, sadly. "My life has been planned out for me for so long that I guess, I don't really know who I am or what I want."

"That's not true," she murmured. "You just don't see it."

"See what?" I asked.

"What makes you happy," smiled Bella. "Maybe it's art or writing."

"Science," I whispered, shifting my eyes down to the table. "I love science."

"There you go," she said, leaning back. I looked up at her.

"You make it sound easy," I muttered.

"It's easier than you think it is, Edward," said Bella, reaching across the table and stroking my cheek. "Don't let others tell you how to live your life, Edward. One day it's going to be gone and you'll have nothing but regrets."

"Bella," hollered Jasper. Bella sighed as she looked past me and over to her brother. "It's time."

"I know," she said, sadly. Looking back at me, she scooted out of the booth. "I'll be right back."

"Ok," I murmured.

Bella walked past me, letting her hand glide across my shoulder as she did. A moment later, Jasper slid into the booth, placing his hands on the table. He had an aggravated expression on his face and I had a feeling our conversation wasn't going to be pleasant.

"Look, this is going to come off as much meaner than I intend it to but stay away from my sister," he said, calmly. "She doesn't need….. It's not good if she….Just leave her alone."

I opened my mouth to speak but before I could, Bella spoke up behind me. "Jasper Swan, leave him alone," she yelled. Out of nowhere, she was next to me, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the booth.

"Bella-"

"No, Jas," she snapped. "We're talking, getting to know each other. There is nothing wrong with that."

"It won't do you or him any good to get attached," said Jasper, quietly. "Think about how he is going to feel when…"

"I have," she murmured, dropping her eyes to the floor. "I just like feeling like…It's not like he's falling in love with me, Jasper. We're just…talking. Trust me, brother."

"Bells," whispered Jasper, running his hands through his hair.

"Come on, Edward," murmured Bella, pulling on my hand.

I let her lead me away from her brother but noticed that Alice had moved to his side. He tucked her into him as he buried his face in her hair and started to cry. Bella lead me to the other side of the dinner and slide into the booth, pulling me in with her. She looked out the window, bringing her hand up and laying it on her chest.

"Do you believe in heaven, Edward?" asked Bella.

"Um, I guess so," I said, shrugging my shoulders. She looked over at me.

"You guess?" she asked. "You don't know what you believe?"

"I, um…" I trailed off. "I hope there is. My…my parents died when I was little and I like to think that they are in heaven watching over me."

"How old were you?" she asked.

"Eight," I murmured.

"I was twelve," she said, looking back outside. "Cancer, both of them. They died within a few months of each other. Ironic, really."

"How?" I asked. Bella took a deep breath, like she just realized I was sitting there.

"Favorite book," she said.

"Um, Dante's Inferno," I said, blurting out the first book I thought about. "Yours?"

"Withering Heights," she smiled. "I'm an old romantic. Color?"

"Brown," I said, quickly. Bella blushed. "Yours?"

"Green, for now," she smiled. "Music?"

Bella and I sat in the back of the diner playing twenty questions, that turned into more like forty questions. She answered a few of my questions but she mostly asked me. She pushed for more and more details about who I was and what I liked to do. Every once in awhile a dark shadow would cross her face and she would look back outside as the rain fell harder than it had been before. As quickly as the look came over her, it went away just as fast.

We had been sitting at the table in the back for a few hours, when we noticed that everyone had drifted off to sleep. Emmett and Rose were huddle up together in one of the booths, as were Jasper and Alice. I was surprised Jasper would actually sleep with me talking to Bella. What if we actually got to know each other?

"Come on," whispered Bella, climbing over the table and pulling on my hand.

"Where?" I whispered.

"Trust me," she murmured.

I did trust her, even if I had just met her. There was something different about her, something that I couldn't explain, but I knew I could trust her. So I let her pull me up and we quietly made our way to the front door of the diner. Bella pulled the door open and dragged me outside, down the small covered porch and out into the rain. She closed her eyes and lifted her face to the sky, letting the rain wash over her. She looked so peaceful.

"Don't you love the feel of the rain?" she asked, raising her arms and spinning around.

"I guess," I said, pushing my hair back out of my face. Bella stopped and looked over at me, letting her hair hang down. "Kind of cold, though."

"I think it feels amazing," she murmured. "Like time stood still and for a split second, everything is perfect."

I wasn't sure what to say. Instead, I stood there and watched as Bella danced in the rain, jumping in puddles and giggling. Clearly, she was enjoying every minute, every rain drop. I was envious of the way she was so carefree, lighthearted and easy going. Suddenly, Bella stopped and looked back at me, letting her wet hair hang around her face.

"Come here," she said, holding her hand out to me. Without even thinking, I walked over to her, taking her hand in mind. "Dance with me, Edward."

"There's no music," I said, quietly.

"Just listen to the rain," she murmured.

I pulled her into my arms, letting my other arm wrap around her tiny body and pulling our joined hands up between us. Closing my eyes, I listened as the rain fell around us, on us. Our feet started moving and before I knew it we were following the beat of the rain. Letting it move us, guide us, teach us to listen to what was around us.

"Do you believe in fate, Edward?" asked Bella, laying her head on my chest. "That you and I were supposed to meet today, like this."

"I don't know," I whispered. "Maybe."

"I think we were," she murmured. "It's not fair, though."

"What's not?" I asked.

"It was over before it even started," she said, quietly. "Life changes, sometimes before we even know it."

"For the good?" I asked. Bella stopped dancing and looked up at me.

"I don't know," she said, honestly. "If this was your last night on earth, what would you want to be doing?"

"Um, this feels pretty good," I smiled. Bella frowned. "That's not what you wanted to hear?"

"No, it's exactly what I wanted to hear," she said, sadly. "Have you ever made love to a woman, Edward?"

"No," I muttered, blushing.

"Really?" she asked. "You're what? Twenty-one, twenty-two?"

"Twenty-one," I confirmed. "I've never met anyone that I wanted, Bella….until you."

"Don't say that," she whispered.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because we ended before we even began," she murmured. "If you could have one wish, what would it be?"

"To know that my parents were proud of me," I replied, honestly. "You?"

"Bella, get your ass in here," bellowed Jasper. We looked over and saw him, Emmett, Rose, and Alice standing on the small covered porch. "NOW!"

"I wish I had more time," she murmured.

"More time for what?" I asked.

"Isabella!" yelled Jasper.

"More time to live," she whispered, pulling away from me.

Bella ran inside the diner, leaving me standing out in the rain. Jasper gave me a look that could only be described as pity before he and Alice followed her inside. I ran my hands through my hair as I shuffled through the mud and headed inside, ignoring my brother and Rose as I walked by. It was insane but I was pretty sure that I was falling in love with Bella. How could I love someone that I had only known for a handful of hours? It was insane but it was the only way to explain the feelings that were stirring inside of me.

Emmett brought in my suitcase so I was able to change from my soaking wet clothes into something dry. Jasper had Bella in a booth on the other side of the diner, holding her and whispering to her. Whatever he said was making her cry and I had to fight the urge to beat his ass. However, Bella wrapped her arms around him, holding on to him like she was afraid that he was suddenly going to leave her. In that moment, I saw just how close they were. Jasper had been upset with her before because he was worried about her. How could I not be understanding when Emmett was the same way with me?

After a few more hours, the rain finally stopped and we could leave. Emmett and Rose thanked Jasper and Alice for everything before they took all our stuff back out to the car, leaving me standing in the middle of the diner with Jasper, Alice, and Bella.

"Be careful," said Alice, stepping up and hugging me. She pressed her lips to my ear. "Thank you."

"For what?" I asked as she pulled away.

"For everything," she said, simply. She turned and walked into the kitchen, sniffing back the tears in her eyes.

"Edward, it was nice to meet you," said Jasper, gruffly. "I'm sorry about before. I just…I worry and…"

"It's fine," I muttered, not really meaning it. Jasper nodded his head before leaning down and kissing Bella's cheek.

"We'll be in the kitchen," he whispered.

Bella nodded her head as she wrapped her arms around her body. Jasper sighed as he turned and walked into the kitchen, letting the door close behind him. Bella looked up at me, pulling on her bottom lip once again. I reached over and tugged it out from between her teeth. Bella's eyes closed as she leaned into my hand, letting a tear drift down her face.

"I wish I could stay," I murmured.

"Me too," she whispered. "But you can't, and I…I can't either."

"Can I call you?" I asked. Bella smiled as she opened her eyes.

"I'm leaving," she said.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Someplace better," she murmured. "Do me a favor?"

"What?" I asked.

"Study science," smiled Bella, blinking back her tears. "Find whatever makes you happy and just…don't forget to live, ok?"

"I will," I murmured. "Will you do me a favor?"

"Anything," she breathed.

"Will you let me kiss you?" I asked.

Bella smiled, nodding through her tears. "Yes."

I brought my other hand up, stroking her cheek as I leaned in slowly, and brought my lips down onto hers. As our lips brushed against each other's, I felt a sense of peace flow through me. Bella slipped her arms up around my neck, holding me as close as she could. I never wanted this moment to end. Having Bella in my arms, her lips against mine, was better than anything that I could have ever imagined.

Bella pulled her lips from mine, bringing her hands around and cupping my face in her hands. She had tears in her eyes as she looked up at me, lip trembling. "I love you, Edward. As crazy as it sounds, I do love you. Be happy."

Bella leaned up and pressed her lips to mine once again before she turned and ran out of the room, leaving me standing there. She hadn't even let me tell her that I loved her, too. I stood there for a moment longer before I turned and walked out of the diner, leaving my heart inside with her. Emmett and Rose were standing next to the car, watching me as I stumbled my way down the stairs and climbed into the back seat. As they climbed into the car and headed out of town, I laid down in the seat, covering my eyes and reliving the moment Bella's lips were on mine. It was all I had for now.

**ONE MONTH LATER**

"Don't forget that you have a test over chapter three next week," said Professor Banner, my chemistry professor. "Make sure you study."

I gathered up my bag and shoved my notes inside as I walked out of class and down the stairs leading to the bottom floor of the science building at UCLA. The air was warm and dry as I made my way across campus to the commuter parking lot and climbed into my car, thankful that I didn't have anymore classes that day. It had been a long week and I had a ton of homework left to do, not to mention a test in chemistry.

When I pulled up in front of the small beach house I lived in, I was surprised to see Emmett's jeep parked in front. It wasn't like him to come by in the middle of the afternoon. I climbed out of my car and headed inside. I had been expecting to just see Emmett sitting on my couch but he wasn't alone. Rose was with him but so was Jasper and Alice. I automatically looked around to see if Bella was here, too.

"She's not here," said Jasper.

I looked over at him. He looked tired, worn out. Alice had her arm around his waist and her head resting on his shoulder. I looked over at my brother and Rose. They both looked like they had been crying; red eyes and tear stained faces. Fear crept into me as I shut the door behind me.

"Where is she?" I asked.

"You should sit down," said Emmett, looking up at me.

I walked over and sat down next to him, dropping my school bag next to my feet. "Where's Bella?"

"Bella's…." Jasper trailed off as he blinked back the tears in his eyes. "Bella's gone."

"Gone where?" I whispered, knowing but not wanting to believe it.

"She was sick, Edward," murmured Jasper, rubbing his eyes.

"Sick?" I choked out. "What do you mean?"

"She had cancer," he whispered. "It was progressive and moved so fast."

I shook my head. "No, she was fine a month ago," I muttered, feeling my tears pouring down my face.

"She wasn't," he said. "She had already stopped treatments then…It was only a matter of time."

"NO!" I yelled, jumping to my feet. "She was fine. We talked, we danced," I explained. "I fucking kissed her, goddamn it! She was beautiful and perfect."

"She was," he cried. He picked up a box that was sitting at his feet and held it out to me. "She wanted you to have this."

"Jasper," I murmured.

"It was important to her," whispered Jasper. I nodded as I took the box from him, hugging it to my chest. He and Alice stood up, wiping the tears off their faces. "She loved you."

"I know," I cried. "I loved her, too."

"She knew," murmured Jasper.

"Was she in pain?" I asked. "In the end?"

"No," he whimpered. "She, um, was…She talked to our parents a lot and, um, kept saying that it was beautiful and…" He trailed off, rubbing the tears out of his eyes again. "I like to think she's with them…in heaven, maybe."

"Yeah, she believed in that," I whispered.

"Well, we should get going," muttered Jasper, taking Alice's hand in his. "Take care of yourself, Edward."

"You, too," I murmured.

Jasper and Alice left and I fell onto the couch, holding the box as close to me as I could. I just couldn't wrap my head around the fact that Bella was gone. It was so surreal.

"We're going to take off," said Emmett, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Are you going to be ok?"

"Yeah, I'm going to be ok," I lied, not knowing if I was or not. "I just can't believe it."

"Neither could we," murmured Rose, taking my hand in hers. "We're just a phone call away, if you need us."

"Yeah, thanks," I whispered, swallowing thickly.

Emmett and Rose left and I locked the door behind them. I took the box out onto the back deck, settling down on one of the wicker chairs. I had the perfect view of the ocean. It wasn't until I got home from our trip back east that I fell in love with the view. Bella would have loved it, I have no doubts about that. Pulling the top off the box, I pulled out a photograph. Tears filled my eyes as I looked down at the picture of me and Bella dancing in the rain. I hadn't even realized that anyone had taken this picture. Inside the box, sat a letter. My hands trembled as I picked it up and unfolded it.

_**Edward,**_

_**If you are reading this, then I know that Jasper has followed through with my last wish. I wanted to tell you but I couldn't. It was wrong of me to fall in love with you, knowing that my time was at an end. I couldn't help it, though. The moment I saw you standing there, I knew I was in love with you. Sounds silly, doesn't it? But I did.**_

_**Edward, thank you for giving me the most incredible night of my life. You are an amazing man and I know that you are keeping your promise to me. I want you to live, for me. I want you to take chances and be free. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't or shouldn't do anything. You showed me that it was ok to smile and laugh. You taught me that it was ok to love, even if it was for a short amount of time. **_

_**I've been dreaming a lot, Edward, about heaven and angels. Maybe it's just wishful thinking but I don't think it is. There is a man that looks so much like you. He smiles and his entire face lights up. The woman next to him is saying something but I can't hear her. She has your eyes, Edward. As green as emeralds and so beautiful. They beckon me to come to them, promising me that you will be ok. I can't help but wonder how they can know that, Edward. **_

_**I've got to go now. Remember your promise. I love you, Edward. One day, we'll dance in the rain again.**_

_**Bella**_

Letting my tears fall freely, I brought the letter and photograph up to my chest and cried. One day, Bella and I would find each other again. Until then, I would live for us both.

**Hope you enjoyed this little piece. It was a very emotional one for me to write.**


End file.
